What If (Re-Written)
by zombified16
Summary: The story of Team Natsu after Natsu was able to reunite Fairy Tail and bring them back to the guild; rebuilt and welcoming them home. This story questions what would happen if they had a serene moment of joy and togetherness before darkness descends upon Fiore. What If they became acquainted with a forgotten Book of Zeref? If things were different, there are many "What If's".
1. Intro and Disclaimer

_(7 April, 2017)_

 ***Please Read Before Continuing On***

To whomever this may concern,

First of all, I would like to extend a very warm and loving thank you to all those that reached out to me. For those of you who may not have noticed, I took down this story a few months ago. I didn't like what it turned out to be. Due to schooling and working a, basically, full-time job I wasn't able to even think about re-writing this story. Yet, as exams come closer to it's date I like to be a glutton for punishment and began re-writing this story. There will be weekly updates and I hope that this version fulfills all of your cravings.

You all know that reviews, comments, thoughts, and queries are always welcome. Please, feel free to leave one.

I should warn you before you continue on your way. This story is rated T for teens. There is swearing, and a lot of scenes meant for teenagers and up, so I don't suggest that someone younger than thirteen read on.

I must also tell you that I don't own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, spells, or spoken text they may have used in the amine or manga thus far. It all belongs to Hiro Mashima.

I don't think that this will change throughout the story, so this will be the only disclaimer.

So, without further ado, welcome to "What If..."


	2. What If: Chapter One

Wendy had never really been on her own; at least that's what she thought when travelling back from a recent job that she had taken. She always had someone beside her; whether it was the Cait Shelter Guild, Team Natsu, or being in Fairy Tail, Wendy was never truly alone. She often thought about her old guild and as she did so, her hand rested on her shoulder, and when she closed her eyes she could still see the symbol that once donned her skin. The young girl sighed, and continued her trek forward.

She was used to having Carla beside her, someone to break the silence that Wendy almost always found herself in. She was a shy girl; didn't always have a lot to say. Yet, when she did, her small and meek voice turned into something powerful – something she had learned from being in Fairy Tail for so long, that no matter how small you feel in this world, you can make a difference. You can be bigger.

At this thought, Wendy had found herself opening the doors to her guild. She was greeted with large smiles and a welcoming feeling, and her mind flashed back to Cait Shelter. They were part of her past, but they lived on her heart. She thought of them wherever she went; they were her first family – excluding Grandeeney - so they were never really gone. After all, they had taken care of her so well for the few years she had them.

Carla rushed up to her and began scolding Wendy for leaving her behind. Wendy laughed nervously and tried to explain that she wanted to do this job on her own – to prove that she was capable, though she would never admit it to the rest of the guild. Being a Dragon Slayer around Fairy Tail seemed to mean that those with the power, could take care of themselves. Wendy wanted to be that strong, but she knew that she wasn't there yet – not on her own anyways. When she fought in a large group, Wendy was one of the most powerful people; with her support magic and her Dragon Slaying powers alone, Wendy was strong. But, on her own, Wendy didn't know if she was strong enough. There always seemed to be a certain stigma attached to her; she was a Dragon Slayer, yes, but that didn't mean she was strong. That didn't mean she was like the others. Yet, everyone expected her to be.

Though she was plagued with these thoughts, she managed to keep up a steady conversation with her Exceed. Happy was not too far behind, keeping a steady watch on the cat he loved, but he noticed a change in Wendy – something in her eyes seemed duller than they should have. Before he could ask what was wrong, Natsu was thrown across the guild, Gray's shouts of profanity plaguing the serene air around Wendy; this made her sigh. She began to giggle as this was an event not often missed in this guild. Fighting was common in Fairy Tail; often causing destruction and disturbance of the peace for those who lived around the area, but due to Fairy Tail saving them on countless occasions, they let the fighting slide.

Lucy managed to find her way through the brawling to find the young Mage and sit beside her. They both let out a long and exasperated sigh, but they laughed. They knew there was nothing they could do to stop the fighting, so from their seats, they watched with an ongoing curiosity. The guild would often place bets on who would win specific brawls, yet when Guildarts was home, there was no point in betting – everyone knew who would win. Cana, however, always managed to get a few people to bet on her father, she enjoyed the money and it paid off her booze tab.

"You were gone for a while," Lucy noted as she looked at Wendy. "Did everything go alright?"

Wendy nodded, a cheery tone in her voice. "It was an easy job, no need to worry! I just got a bit distracted. There were a few sweet shops around and I thought I could bring some back for Erza and myself."

"You're such a sweet girl," Lucy gushed, pulling the bluenette close to her chest as she hugged her tightly.

"I heard sweets," Erza's voice commented as she made her way skillfully through the guild. "You're willing to share?"

Though her voice held such power and commandment, Wendy giggled and nodded – unafraid of the powerful Spatial Magic Mage. Out of her small bag, Wendy pulled out a box in which held a few pieces of Strawberry Cake. The young Mage held out the box towards Erza and smiled.

"I know these are your favourite, I hope you like it!" Wendy's sweet voice melted Erza's heart and the elder Mage pulled Wendy into a hug, forgetting that her armour often hurt other's heads. Erza mumbled a thank you into Wendy's hair and gracefully took the box from Wendy's hands, sitting beside her. Two of the most beautiful girls in the guild smiled at the young Mage in adoration.

"N-no worries!" Wendy laughed, rubbing her now aching head. She glanced around the guild and spotted Natsu and Gray during the fighting; throwing profanities at one another and causing a bigger scene than needed. Gray, in the midst of everything, had seemed to lose the majority of his clothes; though they were safely folded and held in Juvia's arms as she cheered her beloved on.

This was her family; Carla, Happy, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Erza. This was home. Fairy Tail was her home. She could feel her tears welling as she thought about all the events that happened these past few years, but, she held them back – she shouldn't be upset in a time of happiness. Everyone was joyful, so she would be too.

She would never forget what brought her to where she is now. If she was with Fairy Tail, they could conquer everything. Together. Nothing is more powerful than the bonds of friends; nothing would ever tear them apart.

Nothing.

But… what if something did?

What would they do then?

Would they still be the same Fairy Tail? Different? Would Fairy Tail even exist if something were to happen?

These thoughts began plaguing Wendy's mind, and though the world continued around her, time seemed to freeze for the Mage.

 _Would it be another case like Cait Shelter?_ Wendy thought to herself. _Is Fairy Tail even here? Am I going to be alone again?_

Wendy felt a shiver pass through her. These negative thoughts were taking a toll on the young Mage, yet, no one seemed to notice; they were too busy laughing and being joyful. Wendy hugged her small frame and the smile once on her face had become a ghost; no longer there but she could still feel it.

Fairy Tail had been through a lot together; even before Wendy arrived. Lullaby, Galuna Island and Deliora, Phantom Lord, Lucy's adventures with Loke and the Celestial King, The Tower of Heaven, the Fantasia Parade – Wendy has missed all of it. She couldn't make the bonds with this guild strong enough before she arrived to help defeat the Oraciòn Seis, and even then, Wendy wasn't of much help. She still blamed herself for not doing enough, even after all these years later. Even after Edolas, the S-Class Promotion Trials, Acnologia, the Grand Magic Games, Wendy still blamed herself. Even after the Sun Village, Tartaros, the time they all spent apart, Avatar, and the reestablishment of the guild Wendy still felt like she was that weak child from all those years ago. After the time skip, Wendy was supposed to be nineteen. She felt like she was supposed to be stronger, wiser, more accomplished – yet, she didn't. Even after releasing her Dragon Force, Wendy still felt like that weak little girl.

Deep down, Wendy knew this wasn't true. Deep down, Wendy did feel strong but lately, after seeing everyone's power after their year apart, she felt like she hadn't improved at all. She knew if she voiced this opinion, everyone would shut it down – she felt that it was best if she just let it be; to let it dwell inside of her.

Natsu was successful in bringing the guild back together, like he promised. He brought all of them back home. They rebuilt their guild, and they were all a family once more. They went on jobs like usual, laughed and talked at the bar like usual, they all went home and came back in the morning. Everything was as usual. Yet, Wendy felt that something would be different – that something would happen. Even though they rebuilt the guild in no-time and were back to doing Fairy Tail things, something would happen.

The whole guild knew this. They knew something would be coming. But, they didn't know what. They didn't let it bother them though, they just pushed this thought to the back of their minds. They were Fairy Tail, nothing bothered them until it had to.

No one knew that it would have to very soon.


	3. What If: Chapter Two

(8 April 2017)

 **I would like to give a special thanks to all those who read the first chapter and followed; Dispar101, SerenaDragneel, Shiranai Atsune, and booklover551 who also favourited. Thank you so much for reading and doing such - it means a lot to me. Thank you to the 54 people who have read through yesterday and the night, this also means so much to me. I'm excited for this chapter as it gets the story rolling. Feel free to tell me what you think!**

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That night – after cleaning the guild and restoring it to what it was before the brawl had begun, and before Makarov ended it with a smash of his giant fist – Natsu and Happy walked home. It was quiet that night and overly cloudy, making the walk home more eerie. This caused Natsu's guard to go up as his eyes darted around every corner, scanning the area in which he walked. This wasn't unusual, cloudy days often came around but never to this extent; even the moon was shut out. It was dark, and unconsciously Happy stepped a bit closer to Natsu in hopes that he'd feel more protected – yet he didn't. Natsu's fist shone with the flames that surrounded it and as the two walked the familiar trek through the forest, Natsu leaned down and picked Happy up, holding him close to his chest.

Natsu was not one to admit fear; but on this night, dark as it was, it was too quiet. Natsu couldn't hear his own breathing, it seemed that everything around him was deaf falling upon working ears; working Dragon Slayer ears. Natsu used his energy to create more flame in hopes to brighten the area even more, but it didn't seem to help – there was something going on in these woods, but he couldn't pinpoint what. Though nothing had happened to them, Natsu and Happy had an empty feeling in their chests – unlike anything they had felt before. It was like their hearts dropped so much it rolled out of their pant legs.

Before long, the two found themselves walking into their home. Untouched and preserved for a little over a year, Natsu smiled faintly at his collections and trophies before sneezing and causing a cloud of dust to rise from the floor. Happy, trying to lay on the bed, coughed when he was surrounded by dirt and grime.

Happy sighed. "We really need to clean."

Natsu grunted and crouched to the floor. He began searching for anything to clean with but everything was so covered in dust, dirt, and cobwebs that nothing was usable. He chuckled, and grinned at Happy. In a large movement, Natsu stood, causing most of the dust around him to fly about. He coughed and fanned his face.

"I'm sure Lucy wouldn't mind if we stayed with her for a bit," the Dragon Slayer grinned widely and Happy giggled.

"Aye sir!" Happy chimed and the two raced from the house. They laughed and ran towards Lucy's apartment.

Though she had once owned a place in Crocus, Lucy had recently talked to the owner of her old building. Since she knew that Fairy Tail was here to stay, she wanted her old place back; especially after sleeping in the guild infirmary – it was a great place if you were injured, but to sleep in it was uncomfortable and the least bit homey.

She managed to help Virgo pack up her things from Crocus and the two were putting the last finishing touches on her room when Natsu barged in through the window, calling her name.

The blonde seethed, trying to control her patience. "Natsu," she warned.

Yet, the boy laughed and plopped down from the windowsill and onto her freshly made bed. He tilted his head and smiled innocently at his friend. "Luce," he copied her tone and Happy mewed in his lap.

"What do you two think you're doing?" She questioned, putting her hands on her hips. She had just made that bed, and in the five seconds the boys had arrived, there was dirt everywhere.

"Oh, c'mon Luce!" Natsu chuckled, petting Happy's head. "I thought you loved sleepovers." At this comment, Lucy blanched and shuddered; she couldn't help but to think about Natsu's snoring and all the times he and Gray fought in their sleep.

"No, absolutely not," she said, a sort of finality in her voice, after a moment's pause. "I just finished unpacking, I'm tired and want to sleep in my bed. Alone."

Happy sniffled a little and flew into Lucy's chest, causing the girl to stumble backwards. As if on cue, the waterworks began and Happy's speaking became jumbled and erratic. Lucy pet the Exceed's head gently and sighed. She couldn't resist Happy's tears – even if she knew very well that they were fake.

"Alright," she muttered, knowing Natsu would hear her. "One night, okay?"

"Aye!" Happy giggled, flying over to her fridge. Lucy knew it was fully restocked, so Happy would have no problem finding what he needed. She shuffled towards Natsu and he took off his shoes and placed them neatly beside Lucy's bed-frame. He smiled at the Celestial Spirit Mage and took off his jacket.

Lucy had seen him shirtless countless times, but somehow this was different. She hadn't seen Natsu in a year, and though they worked together the reform the guild and spoke briefly to one another, they weren't that close; not anymore. So, her heart skipped a beat and she blushed as the young man slid off his jacket and folded it. Natsu tilted his head at Lucy's change in heartbeat but brushed it off – he was sure she was fine.

"So," Lucy broke the silence, "why couldn't you be at home?"

Natsu shrugged, crossing his legs and folding his arms. "I haven't been home in over a year, it's kind of a mess." He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been helping around the guild, y'know? It's not my favourite thing, but I'm working hard to make it better for everyone. I don't want them to leave again."

Lucy felt a twinge in her heart; Natsu had lost so much already, but to lose the guild for a second time was one of his greatest fears; and she felt that radiating off of him. Fairy Tail was his family – it was both of theirs. They didn't want them to leave again. No one did.

Lucy placed a gentle hand on Natsu's knee and grinned at him; this gesture reassured him and he flopped onto the bed. "You know," Lucy began, "I can help you clean it up. That way you don't have to stay here."

Her tone was joking, but Natsu frowned at this thought. He loved being around Lucy; they were partners and best friends. They were family, and the thought of not being around something so important to him caused Natsu to sit up abruptly and walk into the bathroom, leaving Lucy behind.

With his sensitive ears, he could hear the conversation between his two closest friends and sighed a bit. He wasn't being himself, he knew that. There was just something about Lucy that had changed over the past year. He had apologized, he had brought the guild back together, he had given her hope and everything she could ever need. He saved her on countless occasions. Was that not enough? Was he not doing enough? Did Lucy not trust him anymore?

Natsu banged his fists on the sink, cursing when it cracked. He sunk to his knees and his hair shielded his eyes. He knew he had hurt Lucy – left her behind, leaving her with only a letter. But, he had to. If only she knew…

Natsu shook his head and coughed when a bit of dust fell out of it. He groaned and ran his hands through his hair, shaking furiously.

This wasn't like him. He didn't know why he was acting this way. Perhaps he didn't like seeing Lucy in this state. But, how could he fix it if he didn't know what was wrong? He sighed and left the bathroom only to see Lucy and Happy curled into one another. His frown lifted slightly and as he carefully climbed over the sleeping blonde, Natsu had wondered how long he had been in her bathroom. Shrugging that thought off, he pulled the two most important people in the world closer to him and he closed his eyes.

When Natsu woke, he was in a dark room. Though his element was fire, Natsu was cold; something strange was happening, yet he didn't know what. He shivered and sat up. He was alone from what he could tell. He questioned the location of Lucy and Happy but shrugged it off as he stood and walked around.

Putting his hands behind his head, he called out into the darkness. "Oi," he began, "anyone here?"

"Perhaps," was the words the echoed around Natsu. Though his senses were strong, he couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"It's the forest all over again," he muttered. "Come out here or I'll burn you, and everything else, to a crisp!"

"Such threatening words from someone so small." Natsu whirled around and caught the wrist of whoever was speaking. "Oh?" they questioned.

"It's not very nice to sneak up on someone."

"Who says I'm sneaking?" The voice replied, laughing and Natsu's grip now held nothing but air.

"Teleportation?" He muttered, spinning around in circles. Laughter seemed to bounce off every wall and Natsu began to question whether or not Rogue was playing tricks on him. But, it didn't sound like the Shadow Dragon Slayer – nor smell like him either. So, what the hell was going on?

Natsu suddenly felt a presence beside him and jumped at the contact. "The hell," he growled.

"Now, now," the voice chuckled, seeming more feminine. "Profanity is not needed here."

"What's going on?" He growled. "Where is Lucy and Happy?"

There was a pause, and with a snap of their fingers, Natsu was back in Lucy's room. He watched the two sleep soundly, curled up next to him. Wait, next to him? Natsu shook his head and turned back to the figure.

"We're inside your head."

"I'm dreaming?" Natsu questioned.

"Sure," they shrugged. Natsu tried to get more information about this person. Yet, seeing as they were covered from head to toe in a black cloak – seemingly having no way to look in to get an identity – Natsu leaned forward and sniffed them. "You could at least buy me dinner first," they chuckled, sitting down at Lucy's table. Natsu joined them not long after, contemplating his decisions.

"This is more like an Astral Projection," the voice continued. Something seemed to mask it, not allowing Natsu any clue on who or what they were; they had no scent either which caused Natsu's head to be riddled with questions. "You're outside of your body and experiencing something only I can let you experience."

"Not following," Natsu muttered, his gaze shifting onto the sleeping bodies.

"Let me put this simply then. I went into your head, and pulled your soul out so we can have a little chat."

"Oh," Natsu nodded. "Why?"

After a pause and shift in movement, they spoke. "Something is going to happen to Fiore." They were blunt, but Natsu liked straight answers. "It's going to happen soon, and if you don't stop it everything you have ever loved, cherished, or thought was important will disappear; everything around you will crumble and you will be left with nothing. Just you, and your thoughts."

Natsu was silent for a moment. "So why don't I just prevent that from happening? All I gotta do is punch someone, right? Someone is usually behind the destruction of Fiore every other week so I find them and beat 'em up."

"It's not that simple," Natsu couldn't tell if they were shaking their head, but went along with what this hooded figure was saying. "Trust me, if it were I would have done something by now."

"So, what do you expect me to do about it?" Natsu sighed. He had just gotten the guild back together – of course something was about to happen.

"I expect you to do everything about it. If I'm not wrong – and I'm never wrong – you're the only one that can stop this, Natsu. Wendy can feel it too, same with Gajeel. All the Dragon Slayers can feel a darkness coming to descend upon Fiore. You are the only one – the only ones, rather – strong enough to save everyone you love."

"Why not talk to them? I'm sure they're not busy. I have things to do." Natsu grumbled, thinking about how he had to continuously help the guild in order to make sure no one would leave again.

There was a pause in speech between the both of them. It was eerily silent and for a while; no one said a word.

"What happened to you?" They questioned Natsu, yet before he could reply they continued. "You used to be this powerful Mage that would stop at nothing to prevent anything happening to their family. Now you're just going to sit by and let this darkness descend because you 'have things to do'?" They mocked him, standing up from their seat and slamming their hands onto the table.

"I'm still powerful," Natsu growled. "I would still do anything for my family. But in order to keep them home and safe I have to make sure they stay where they are. I can't risk them leaving again – I can't!"

"So, you're going to sit by and do nothing?" They cried, their voice frantic and breath heaving. "I can't believe this." They stormed over to Lucy and pointed a gloved hand at the sleeping girl. "You're going to do nothing and watch this girl die? Fine, let me just speed up the process then." With a snap of their fingers, Natsu could see nothing but blood and a dismembered body staining the once perfect sheets of Lucy's bed. Natsu could no longer tell who he was looking at, but with a cry of fear and frustration, he lunged towards the hooded character and began attacking. His movements were animalistic and rather unpredictable, yet he managed to miss every single time.

"No!" He screamed, pinning the hooded figure to the wall. "How dare you? How dare you take something precious from me before my very eyes? How dare you?" His voice was stuttered and hoarse but he screamed and attacked until there was nothing left.

"You seem to want people to die. So, I'm giving you what you want. Until you change your mind, you will watch that girl die every day. Enjoy Natsu, enjoy what you've done." And, with a flash of black light, they were gone and Natsu sat up in Lucy's bed, causing the blonde to wake. His breathing was erratic and his tears streamed down his cheeks and onto his clenched hands.

Perhaps it had just been a nightmare, but what he felt and the way he shut into himself wasn't a dream. Was it just empty threats? Or something more? All he knew was that it wasn't something he was going to enjoy. As he put Lucy back to sleep, Natsu didn't close his eyes – not once. He watched the girl's breathing and flashes of what he had seen moments earlier scarred his mind.

He wanted to save everyone, he wanted to protect everyone. But, he had just gotten them back. He couldn't lose them again. Was this why he was so afraid to do something? He didn't know. But, he watched the blonde sleep and laid his head against the window, feeling the cool glass on his head.

What was he supposed to do? He wasn't invincible, and he knew that. So why did he – of all people – have to do something? He didn't know. These questions plagued him through the night and well into the morning when the two Mages walked to the guild. They rattled around in his head as his team sat around the table discussing what they should do together, and as Lucy mentioned a job Natsu didn't say a word. Neither did Wendy.

The two Dragon Slayers said nothing, but looked at each other with a seemingly knowing glance; no one else cared to question it, no one else noticed something was wrong. But there was something wrong.

Only, Natsu didn't know how to fix it this time.


	4. What If: Chapter Three

**(10 April, 2017)**

 **Oh my gosh, guys! Everything has seemed to triple since the last upload, this is making my cry! I didn't know that you would all love it this much. It's only been a few days, haha. Well, I'd like to give a great big special thanks to the new favourites from OneLivesAgain, Zaconator and Zackis, and santoserimar. A thank you goes out to the two new followers of this story: OneLivesAgain and santoserimar. Finally a huge thank you to the 150 readers!**

 **Since three reviews were left, I would like to answer them before the chapter starts!**

 **From guest user Deboo: "That's good! It's too good actually! I hope this is not a one-shot."**

 **Well Deboo, thank you so very much! Honestly I have grown so much as a writer and expanded my knowledge with various writing techniques and styles. I hope it makes you happy that this is in-fact not a one-shot! This will be in the format of a "novella" in which it will be small and not go crazy overboard with plot, however I think I've decided to plan it out as twenty-five chapters.**

 **From OneLivesAgain: "Wow, I really love this story! Keep up the good work, and I hope to read more of this in the future!"**

 **Wow-ie! Thank you so much! I've wanted to do this re-write for a while. This story has been through so many changes over the past few years and it's starting to turn out just the way I had it imagined it could be! I have a lot of potential with this story and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. Don't worry, updates will be regular (even though exams are happening and I study along side writing) and I hope to finish in early June before I start work!**

 **From santoserimar: "YAYAYAYYAY your baaaaackk! _"**

 **Indeed I am! I'm excited to be back and writing; I have missed this a lot. Y'know, I was gone for a while because of school and issues with family but I recently found that writing is my way to cope. So, after writing a few tentative novels and a short sotyr I found my way back to fan-fiction. I really and truly am very happy to be back!**

 **Unfortunately, today's chapter is a tad short as I'm continuously studying for exams. I do hope you enjoy nonetheless.**

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Erza stood at the job board, her amour-clad hands positioned on her hips. When she was in this position, everyone knew not to bother her; she was thinking. Erza was calculating and cold at times – after all, this attitude got her to be the S-Class Mage she was today. Erza was dedicated to her magic and helping the world around her; yet people seemed off-put by her personality. It would change frequently, and Erza knew that it was an issue she had, however the Mage didn't let it bother her much.

The job board was recently put up last week when requests started pouring in after the rumours of Fairy Tail being re-established were no longer rumours. Erza lifted a hand to the pieces of paper and sighed, flipping through the various requests. There were so many and she questioned why no one had seemed to bother organizing it, let alone pick something off the damn thing.

There were specifics that she needed in a job, after all, Team Natsu had to get something out of it. Lucy had mentioned needing money for rent and she noted Gray's request of somewhere not too hot. Erza knew that there had to be some element of fighting to keep Natsu happy. Along with Natsu, Happy wanted there to be some free food out of it as well. Wendy hadn't said much but Erza spoke for the both of them when she looked for a request in a town that had notable sweet shops.

Working in teams was hard. Erza enjoyed her solo missions in which she didn't have to worry about other's needs, but, when she turned her head and looked at the Mages that sat around her table, a small smile found its way to her face. After everything they had been through, those four Mages found their way into her heart – changing her for the better. Around those four, her family, her steel exterior would crack and Erza felt truly at peace with them. After all, Natsu and Gray had known her the longest – they were closer to her, anyways – but Lucy had managed to open her up. Erza had always wanted girlfriends, someone she could shop with and gossip about the guild and those that resided in it. Lucy and Wendy were those people, and even though they were younger than the scarlet haired Mage, they were her sisters and she loved them dearly.

Shaking these thoughts, Erza went back to calculating which job would be best. However, when she started sifting through the papers, she was drawn to a specific one. It was a smaller piece of paper than the rest and had a blueish tint to it. She took it from the board and moved it around in her hand. She read the note over, and shrugged. It did meet all their requirements, however Erza felt a bit off. She couldn't pinpoint what it was, though she was often so good at that.

She brought it back to the table and set it down. Lucy was first to pick it up and read it aloud. "Unknown beast attacking crops and farms," she began. Erza nodded, this crossed Natsu's requirement off the list; wherever there was a beast roaming around, fighting it wasn't too far behind.

"Help is urgently needed. We are located in the northern region of Thornhold," Lucy continued. "Thornhold? The fishing town?" Gray smiled at Erza – in this season it wouldn't be hot at all.

"A small fishing town, but in it is a famous sweet shop owned by Trinity Lepagier. She's known all over the world!" Wendy chimed as her and Erza laughed and high-fived. Lucy laughed and shook her head.

"You two are more worried about snacks than actually helping these people," Lucy stuck her tongue out at the two Mages who blushed and quietly remained talking about sweets.

"For ninety-thousand Jewel?" Lucy cried after reading the next line. "That would pay my rent for months!" Tears started streaming down her face and Gray plucked the request from the blonde's hands.

"Regards, Mayor Yunick." Gray finished. "I've heard that name before," he muttered.

"He owns a large chain of sushi shops! Do you know want this means, Natsu! Fish! If we do this job well and don't mess up we'll get fish! And lots of it!" Happy cried, sniffling into the Dragon Slayers chest who laughed and punched the air.

"Aye, sir!" Natsu grinned at his Exceed.

This job was perfect for the team, perhaps a little too perfect. Yet, no one seemed to bother investigating further as they all raved about the different aspects and thoughts about the job.

That night, Erza went home with a faint smile on her face. She was excited to be working a job with her teammates once again, but the weariness set in when she determined that something might be a little off with this job; though it had not requested them specifically, Erza could help but to think that it might've just as well. This was the ideal job for her team, but she couldn't help but to ask herself why she was so worried.

As she rested, Erza had a nightmare about a hooded figure; warning her about a darkness that was to descend and she watched the people she loved the most die. Erza's nightmare spoke to her about a way to stop this darkness – to convince Natsu to do something.

When Erza awoke, his name was on her tongue. "Natsu," she muttered, shaking her head. "Why would I have a dream about Natsu having to do something? Is this a sign?"

As Team Natsu met at the train station that morning, they were all exhausted. They seemed to have the same dream; in which Natsu needed to be recruited for some bigger purpose. They had all watched each other die and were too tired to care that a bigger meaning could be behind this – none of them slept. No one would share the information about the dream, but they all knew. They all had the same look in their eyes. Carla was sleeping soundly in Wendy's arms as they all boarded the train – the same nightmare now plaguing her mind.

 _Was this a premonition?_ Carla thought to herself as she woke and panted for breath. _Or just a dream?_


	5. What If: Chapter Four

_(December 26, 2018)_

 **Thank you to our new follower - JcL107 \- and all those who are reading. I can't believe you've stuck around for this long! I hope you enjoy. **

**Love,**

 **zombified16**

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Lucy had not yet had the dream that plagued her teammates. She was lucky in that regard. She wasn't Lucky Lucy Heartfilia for nothing. However, she did notice that something was affecting her friends. Lucy didn't know what it was yet, but she would find out. While she pet Natsu's hair, as the Dragon Slayer was ill with motion sickness, Lucy began to let her thoughts run wild; specifically regarding Natsu.

Things were different between them now. Lucy didn't enjoy this notion, but whether she liked it or not didn't matter. Time changes things and, after being left behind with only a note to keep her company, Lucy couldn't help but hold on to her feeling of betrayal. The young Mage had tried her very best to make things like they were, but it was easy for her to pretend like this didn't bother her; she had practice hiding her feelings.

Lucy looked up at her team; was this even her team anymore? They were so quick to get back together and put the past behind them. Why couldn't she do that? Why was she having such a hard time? Tears began to prick her eyes.

After being alone for so long, a lifetime spent having no one beside her, Lucy couldn't get over the fact that they left her too; like her mother, like her father, like the servants that were paid to be with her. Lucy's thinking led her down a dark path, one that she didn't want to be led down again.

Lucy abruptly stood, knocking Natsu to the ground.

"Excuse me," she said, her words barely above a whisper.

As she left the train cart, the others looked around.

"Lucy looked really upset," Happy commented. His place to sit was now gone as he once resided on the blonde's head. Coming to a rest on Erza's lap, he sighed.

Happy's words sent a pang through everyone's chest, Natsu's especially. He would get up, if only the train didn't defeat him so easily.

Gray rose to his feet and excused himself as well, explaining that he would do a round of the train looking for her. After a few short minutes, the Ice-Make Mage found the blonde at the back of the train. He stood beside her silently for a bit, watching the tracks beneath them.

"Did the others send you?" Lucy questioned after a while.

"No," Gray shook his head. "I came of my own free will."

"Well, I would hope so," Lucy chuckled softly.

The air around them got quiet again, and Gray shuffled nervously. Lucy looked at him in the corner of her eye and spoke. "You really don't have to be out here with me."

"No, I want to," Gray shook his head. "I just don't know what to say."

Lucy nodded.

Gray cleared his throat. "When the guild disbanded, I was on my own too. Granted, Juvia followed me but we weren't as close as we are now. The guild has been and always will be my family and when everyone left I…"

"Gray, it's okay," Lucy interjected, but Gray raised a hand.

"I don't forgive everyone yet, either. It's going to take some time. Sometimes I think to myself that we shouldn't have disbanded in the first place – that we could have stuck it out." Gray sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "But, without disbanding, I would have never known how much certain people mean to me." He smiled and turned to Lucy fully. "Forgiveness is earned, but don't hold out on it forever."

"Gray…"

"Take the time you need, we'll all be waiting for you inside."

"Gray, I –"

Lucy was cut off by something tackling her off the train. Grey screamed her name and tried to jump the railing to get to her, but he was pulled back by a dark figure.

Lucy grunted when she hit the ground, the metal track being slammed in her back; a soundless scream escaped her mouth as she rolled over in pain, putting a hand on her back. When she cracked open an eye to see what, or who, had done such a thing, Lucy was surprised to see that no one was there.

She slowly got to her feet, gasping in pain as she did so. Off in the distance, she could see the train begin to speed up. Before she could even take a step in the direction of the train, a glowing light appeared next to her.

"Loke," Lucy greeted without looking at the Celestial Spirit. "Did you catch what happened?"

"No," he shook his head. "I couldn't even see who did it. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Lucy nodded. "Come on, we have to catch up with the train. Something is wrong. I know the others will be able to handle it, but we should be there too."

Loke quickly scooped Lucy into his arms and began to run towards the train. Loke was quick and was able to catch up to it fairly easily. Lucy was able to catch a glimpse inside of the train; passengers seemed to be screaming and trying to open windows that were sealed shut.

"Lucy!" Loke cried out. Lucy looked forward and cursed under her breath. A fire was blazing along the bridge. If it continued, the train would add enough weight to make the bridge collapse, sending all the civilians into the water below.

"Loke, can you get to the front of the train?" Lucy cried out. Nodding, Loke jumped onto the top of the train, still with Lucy in his arms, and ran to the front. Dropping down into the engine cart, Lucy cursed once again. "Try to cool this train down, I'll do what I can," Lucy said before jumping off the train. "Find Gray!" was the only thing she said before disappearing from sight.

Rolling to a stop, she pulled out two keys. "Sagittarius!" Lucy called out. With a flash, the archer appeared. Standing tall, Lucy's outfit slowly transformed into Sagittarius' Star Dress. With a bow in hand, Lucy ran toward the cliff. If she timed this right, her crazy idea could work.

Watching the train, Lucy took a deep breath and leaped off the cliff. She heard faint screams in the distance from her friends, but she couldn't let that distract her. Turning towards the cliff, Lucy shot an arrow. Praying that it would attach to something, Lucy used her whip to attach to the end of the arrow. Watching it wrap around the end, Lucy started plummeting to the water below.

When she was an arm's reach away from the water, Lucy screamed as the whip tensed and strained her arm. "Aquarius, please!"

Everything went white from the massive use of power, and Lucy closed her eyes. As she landed on the gravel beside the river, the Celestial Mage let out a soft groan. She cracked her eyes open to watch the train pass over the bridge and come to a halt. People flooded from the train. Lucy smiled. It had worked, Gray made it in.

Turning her head to the water, Lucy's eyes opened widely when she saw Aries kneeling beside her.

"You called out Aquarius," Aries said softly. "I'm sorry I'm not her…"

"Aries…" Lucy said softly. "No, I'm sorry. I forgot…"

"Lucy!" Loke cried as he ran towards her. "Are you insane? What were you thinking?"

"Loke, I think she did an amazing job," Aries said timidly. "She's not breakable…" She gingerly put her pointer fingers together and bit her lip.

Loke sighed and watched Lucy's Star Dress disappear. The blonde sat up and stretched her back. "Everyone is safe, at least. By the time I got to the others, Erza had tied up some suspicious figures. Maybe one of them pushed you off the train."

Lucy nodded. She began rubbing her shoulder. "It doesn't make sense," she mumbled. "Why would they push me off the train? Especially when Erza was there…"

"Lucy!"

The blonde looked up and smiled softly. Happy crashed into her chest and looked up at her. "Where were you? Why are you down here? You should have seen Erza beat up these people that were attacking Gray!"

"I'm sure it was a sight to see," Lucy smiled as she put a hand on the blue Exceed.

"I'm here to help!" Wendy exclaimed, kneeling beside her. Lucy shook her head. "What?"

"I'm okay, Wendy, don't worry. Can you go look after the people? Maybe some of them got hurt."

"I…" Wendy trailed off. "Okay. Carla?"

Lucy watched the small Dragon Slayer fly off with Carla. When she turned her gaze to the rest of the group, Grey stepped forward. "Are you okay?"

Lucy nodded. "I'm fine! I'm just glad everyone is okay."

"This is quite a feat," Erza commented as she walked over to Aries' wool. "I'm proud of you, Lucy."

"Thanks, Erza!" Lucy beamed.

"But it was reckless," Erza continued. "When Wendy is done with the civilians, I want you looked at as well. Just in case."

Natsu looked at the blonde. His shoulders were tense and when he looked down at Lucy, all he could see was the lifeless form that was once shown to him. Natsu shook his head and weakly smiled at Lucy.

"You did awesome."

Lucy nodded and blushed. "Thank you, Natsu." Turning to Erza, Lucy stood and brushed herself off. "Now, show me who pushed me off that train."


	6. What If: Chapter Five

Lucy had never truly been one for violence. However, after being thrown off a train, she was about to have some serious words with the vigilantes Erza tied up.

As the group of Fairy Tail Mages walked back up the cliff to the parked train, Lucy kept her eyes on the back of Natsu's head. Something was different about him, especially after what he had said to her. His smile seemed so hollow and cold. His words affected her – she knew they were true – but the way he had said them, and the way he had looked…

Lucy shook her head. After the year apart she had grown stronger, better as a Mage. Why did she want to seek validation from her peers? She has been the strongest Celestial Wizard in years, that should mean something. Yet, the way her team looked out for her. It was over-bearing at times.

Gray looked at Lucy from the corner of his eyes. He kept his face stoic but retained a watchful eye on the blonde; she was just thrown off a train after all. Gray couldn't help but notice Lucy's face scrunch up as she thought to herself. He opened his mouth to comment but promptly shut it. He shook his head softly. Gray knew better than to interrupt the blonde's thinking. Instead, he focused on the path ahead. They were close to the top of the cliff. He knew he had to get some answers about why they were suddenly attack on the train. What was the purpose? They weren't even that close to Thornhold. Could they be behind the beast attacks?

Gray thought back to the short fight he had with one of the masked Mages. Before Erza had arrived and quickly finished the job, Gray had noticed something about the magic they were using. It seemed to be a copy of the Ice-Make Magic Gray had. It was peculiar, but red flags weren't going off in Gray's mind.

They were going off in Natsu's mind, however. He could feel Lucy's eyes on the back of his head. He wanted to turn around and ask her why she was staring, but he squared his shoulders instead, brushing it off as Lucy being weird again. Things had changed in the year he was gone. Natsu noticed a lot of change in his team; his friends. Erza seemed to be colder and more calculating – but still the same as he remembered her. Gray was tolerable, which was weird to the Dragon Slayer, and Natsu could sense more power from him. Wendy had grown up a lot and Natsu could not be prouder of the young Dragon Slayer; the year apart had Wendy working hard to become as strong as Natsu and Gajeel – in her own way, of course. But Lucy…

Natsu turned his head towards her slightly. Something was off with Lucy. She looked different – she grew her hair out. Natsu liked it long, he thought it made her look nice. She looked older; more sure of herself. Natsu thought this was good to see, Lucy should be proud of herself and her magic. But, she didn't have the light she used to have. Natsu couldn't place why. Even the other night when he was over and he was shown the vision from the cloaked figure, there was something different about Lucy.

The cloak figure's words rang in his mind. Natsu tried to shake them away, but they kept coming back. A darkness is descending, and he has to fix it. Natsu didn't know how. He wished he could ask Lucy, she was smart, she could help him. But the Dragon Slayer knew if he did Lucy would get hurt. Natsu couldn't see Lucy get hurt. Not anymore…

Before Natsu could think any further on the topic, they arrived at the three cloaked figures.

"So," Erza began, looming over them. The figures all seemed to flinch at her voice. "Would you like to begin by telling us why you've done this?"

"We don't know what you're talking about," one shook their head.

"Why did you attack us?" Gray questioned, squatting in front of the Mage that had attacked him, pulling off their hood. The Mage groaned and glared at Gray. Their face was mostly hidden by a black leather mask; two pink eyes glared from beneath it. The mask covered everything but their eyes and the bottom half of their face. Yet, a scar could be seen on their left cheek, most of it hidden by the mask.

"We have our reasons," another huffed. With a pull of the hood, the spell was broken, and the three Mages moulded into one.

"What?" Happy cried, hiding behind Natsu.

With the extra space in the rope from the disappearance of the other two bodies, the masked Mage rolled backwards and jumped to their feet. The Fairy Tail Mages got into a fighting stance and before they could even do anything, the Masked Mage appeared in front of Natsu and whispered something in his ear.

In a flash, they were gone. Natsu's face crumbled and he took a small step backwards. Erza and Gray began bombarding him with questions about what they had said, but Lucy looked at him. Natsu's face looked white, and they made brief eye contact. Wendy came rushing towards the group and began frantically asking questions, making sure they were alright.

Lucy's heart panged at Natsu's face and state. Whatever the Mage had said to him, shook the Dragon Slayer to his core. Lucy's hand tentatively reached out to him, but it dropped heavily. Lucy wanted to comfort him, but after a year of being alone – things weren't the same between them. It was like Natsu was a different person. With Gray's words about forgiveness running rampant in the blonde's head, Lucy looked down at the ground. She _would_ forgive Natsu. Eventually.

That night, after helping get the train back on track and stopping in a small town before their next departure to Thornhill – everyone needed to recover from the train ride – Lucy was sitting on her bed, getting Virgo to rub ointment on her blackened bruise from the tracks.

They couldn't afford separate rooms, so Lucy, Erza, and Wendy would be sleeping together that night. Wendy sat on the bed behind Lucy slightly and eyed her bruise worriedly.

"Lucy," Wendy began softly. "I can really heal that for you, it won't take much energy at all."

Lucy craned her neck to look at the bluenette. "You had a long day of helping people. I'm okay, I promise! This ointment will help." Wendy nodded softly. She wanted to help Lucy, she looked up to the Celestial Mage, but she wouldn't do it against her will. When Virgo had finished and said goodbye, there was a knock on the door. Erza was the first to get to it.

"Natsu," Erza sounded surprised.

"Yo," Natsu waved. Happy flew in the room and landed beside Carla; the two started talking and got lost in a world of their own.

Natsu wandered inside the room and looked around. "Gray's snoring," he spoke.

"You snore too," Wendy giggled.

"Yeah, but he's annoying." Natsu grumbled.

"We're going to sleep," Erza said finally as she looked at Wendy and Lucy. "It's a long day of traveling tomorrow and we need our rest. Especially after what happened."

Wendy nodded, but Lucy stood. "I was actually going to go for a walk," Lucy stated, looking at Natsu. "Do you want to come with me?"

Natsu nodded slowly and followed the blonde out of the room.

The two walked in silence out of the inn and into the street, no one said a word for quite some time. Natsu trailed behind Lucy slightly and watched the blonde look up to the sky. There were usually stars out, but tonight the sky was plain – a navy blue with nothing lighting the sky but the pale moon above them. Lucy stretched and Natsu caught a glimpse of her back. He faltered at the side of the large bruise that donned her skin.

"Did that happen today?" He questioned.

"Oh," Lucy muttered. "Yeah, but it's alright. I feel fine. Virgo rubbed some ointment on it and it should heal soon."

"You need to be more careful," Natsu whispered, walking ahead of her.

"Sorry?" Lucy laughed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I can handle myself."

"Am I not allowed to care?" Natsu retorted, turning back towards her.

"Like you cared when you left," Lucy grumbled, but Natsu heard her. Her words sent a crushing feeling through his chest.

"I left because," Natsu started, but he stopped short when he smelled tears pricking Lucy's eyes. "Lucy?" He questioned.

"I don't need to know why you left," Lucy muttered, pushing past him.

"So then why are you so upset?" Natsu questioned, jogging to catch up with her. Lucy ignored him, but Natsu spun her around to face him. His hands were on her forearms and it sent a shiver throughout her body.

"I thought we were a team," Lucy looked away from him.

"We are!"

"Not anymore," Lucy shook her head, looking into Natsu's eyes. "When you left, leaving me with nothing but a note – not even a goodbye – it killed me, Natsu. I thought you were different. We were going to be together through thick and thin. But you left… everyone left…"

"Lucy, I –"

"You left and then everyone followed your lead. I was alone again…" Natsu was silent. He let go of the blonde and she wrapped her arms around herself. She looked to the ground; she was defeated. "In Fairy Tail, I never once thought that I was going to be alone. It was the family I never had. But all good things come to an end, don't they?"

"No, listen to me," Natsu pulled Lucy to him. "I'll fix this, I promise I will. We're a team, we always will be. You just have to trust me."

"Trust you?" Lucy spoke.

"Please," Natsu begged. "I wish I could tell you what happened this year; why I left. But you just have to trust me, Luce."

"Natsu…"

Natsu pulled away and looked into the blonde's eyes, searching for an answer. "Will you trust me?"

Lucy nodded. She was hurt – broken – but she trusted Natsu. Gray's words became hyper-focused in her mind: forgiveness is earned, but don't hold out on it forever. Lucy would forgive Natsu. She had to. They were a team after all.


	7. What If: Chapter Six

Before dawn the next morning, the team of Fairy Tail Mages found their way towards a trail that would lead them to Thornhold. After the fiasco on the train the previous night, Erza thought it would beneficial to scout out the area – and, if they were to be attacked again, they would have enough room to move around and do so. Being so close to Thornhold gave the Fairy Tail Mages the ability to take note on their surroundings; they were still on the look-out for the masked Mage that had attacked them.

Erza's thoughts consumed her. The fight was seemingly too easy, especially when they were up against a Mage that could clone themselves at will. Yet, was that their only power? They didn't seem too proficient in combat. Otherwise, they would have put up more of a fight. In fact, the Mage didn't try to attack at all. They were on the defense. The only attacking that had been done was pushing Lucy off of the train.

"But why?" Erza muttered, bringing up a closed fit to her mouth as she scrunched her face in thought. She looked behind her to Lucy; also lost in thought. When the blonde felt eyes on her, she looked up. The two Mages met each other's eyes. Erza gestured for Lucy to join her.

"Is something wrong, Erza?" Lucy questioned.

"I need your opinion on something," Erza spoke.

"Sure, what's up?"

Erza wasn't sure how to put her question. The whole situation seemed off to her. The Mage opened and closed her mouth, but when no words came out, Erza shook her head. Erza needed more time to think and process what had happened, then she would determine their next move. She tried to change the topic quickly.

"How are things with Natsu?" The red-head questioned instead.

Lucy sighed softly but snapped out of it quickly. She didn't want to let her true feelings out or be considered a burden with sharing. Yet, Erza heard it and looked at the blonde with a scrutinizing gaze. Lucy smiled weakly.

"It's a bit rocky, but everything will be fine," Lucy nodded. "It's not like I'll hold out on him forever." Lucy looked over to the Dragon Slayer. A small smile graced her face as she watched him and Gray bicker slightly. Natsu caught her eye and smiled back.

"I never apologized to you, did I?" Erza stated as she looked to the ground.

"What do you mean?"

"Lucy, it was never my intention to leave you behind. Some things came up and I was needed elsewhere. It was wrong to not include you with Gray. I apologize for not reaching out, but you have to understand that secrecy and detachment from the guild was necessary for the completion of that task."

"Erza, it's alright. It's all in the past now. I'm just glad we're all back together." Lucy smiled warmly at Erza. "I can't tell you that it didn't hurt, but I can tell you that it's going to be okay. I'm so happy we're back together – that we won't be separated anymore."

"I'm glad to hear that, Lucy," Erza smiled. The red-head put an arm around the blonde and the two walked together laughing.

Wendy, watching the two girls, smiled. She heard their conversation, and nothing made her happier than to hear Lucy's words. The young bluenette had also missed Fairy Tail – her family – she was hurt too when they had disbanded. With a bounce in her step, Wendy ran up to Lucy and put her hand in hers. Lucy smiled down at Wendy and gave the young Mage a kiss on the top of her head.

Natsu and Gray trailed behind the girls and glanced at each other. "I'm not hugging you," Gray folded his arms and looked away from Natsu.

"I don't want you to hug me, perv." Natsu growled.

"You're calling me a perv?" Gray exclaimed. "You're the perv! You've been stealing glances at Lucy every few minutes."

"You're the exhibitionist," Natsu scoffed.

"Better to be an exhibitionist than a pyro."

"Better to be a pyro than an ice-brain."

"What does ice-brain even mean?"

"Like you don't know."

"Like you know!"

"Will you both shut up," Lucy and Erza sneered at them.

"Aye!" The boys were startled by the two girls yelling at them. Neither groups noticed that they were now walking through a large forest that had seemingly appeared on their path. They were all so lost in the moment of togetherness that they had barely paid attention to their surroundings.

When Gray – being the last person to enter the forest – took another step, a shiver was sent down his spine; like someone was watching him. Turning around quickly, Gray eyed the treeline. When he saw that no one was there, he let out a breath of relief. What Gray did not yet realize what that absolutely no one was around him. His team was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they had moved on without him?

"Guys?" Gray called out.

"Gray?" Was returned in a distorted voice – he couldn't even tell who had said it, or if he was imagining things.

Gray was alone. So, when a hand touched his shoulder, it was no surprise that he cursed loudly and stepped back in a fighting stance. His eyes widened at the sight of who was before him.

Somewhere else in the forest, Natsu's head perked up at Gray's distant voice. He screamed pretty loudly, so it wasn't hard for Natsu's ears to pick up the sound. Though it was distorted and sounded far off, Natsu headed in the direction that he thought was correct.

Now that Natsu was alone, his guard went up ten-fold. He was so used to having people around him, and counting on people, that he didn't have to solely rely on himself to watch his surroundings. Yet, now that he was alone, his eyes darted around at every noise. Normally, Natsu wouldn't be so worked up – however, after these sleepless nights of watching his friends die consistently in his dreams, Natsu was a bit on edge. He was going through mental torture; a prison within his own mind.

Natsu's arm lashed out at a tree and he grit his teeth. He blamed everything on the hooded figure; nothing would be happening if they just left him alone.

Natsu was exhausted. He worked relentlessly to get Fairy Tail back together, he repaired friendships, took on every job he could find so that the Fairy Tail name would be spread around; so jobs would once again come to the reformed guild. And now, he wasn't able to sleep without watching everyone he cares about ripped away from him.

Natsu sunk to his knees. He didn't know how much more he could take. He didn't even know how he could bring this up to his friends. He was suffering.

A gentle hand was placed on his back. Natsu spun around and breathed out slowly. "Lucy."

"What's wrong?" The blonde asked him, reaching a hand up to his cheek. "You sure do know how to worry a girl…"

"Nothing, I'm good."

"Natsu…"

They locked eyes. Lucy leaned in slowly, letting her hand fall from Natsu's cheek to his neck. Natsu let out a shaky breath and leaned closer to the blonde – lips almost touching. They were so close. Natsu's heart started racing. He cared so much about Lucy.

"Lucy," Natsu breathed. Her presence was overwhelming. Natsu couldn't breathe.

Why couldn't Natsu breathe? Hands were around his neck.

"Lucy!" Natsu was hoarse. He tried to shift his position, so he could grab Lucy's wrists. "What are you doing?"

"Ending your suffering." Lucy's voice wasn't her own. It was darker; more menacing. "You've been through so much, Dragon Slayer. You've left yourself in a prison of your own making."

Natsu wrapped his hands around the imposter's wrists. With the lack of oxygen in his system, and the small amount of breath actually getting into his lungs, Natsu wasn't as strong as he needed to be.

The imposter laughed at Natsu's struggle. "If only you had agreed to help that stranger all those nights ago. Maybe things wouldn't be so hard."

Natsu's eyes widened. How could they know about them? Natsu had to think quickly, he wouldn't have enough air left otherwise. In a quick act of judgement, Natsu breathed in as much as he could. It was pitiful, but Natsu was able to let out a Fire Dragon's Roar. It startled the imposter enough to let go of Natsu's throat. Natsu was able to roll away.

He coughed. "Who are you?" He demanded.

The imposter growled and vanished. The sight of them gone let Natsu breathe. He laid down on his back and looked up at the trees above him.

"Well," he muttered. "Something is going on."

In her own part of the forest, Wendy, Carla, and Happy were trying to find a path.

"I don't know how we were able to lose everyone," Carla scowled. Wendy smiled politely down at the white Exceed, Wendy didn't want to let her know that everything felt off to her.

"I'm sure we'll find them soon." Happy commented, walking behind the two girls.

"I'm sure we will!" Wendy laughed slightly. "Let's not lose hope yet."

Things got quiet between the three as they kept walking. Suddenly, Wendy stopped and looked around. "We've been here before."

"You mean we've been walking in circles?" Carla exclaimed.

"It seems that way." Wendy nodded, looking around once again. "We should set up camp for a while. If we rest and recharge, it'll be easier to find the others. It'll be very hard if we're tired."

"You're right," Carla said, walking towards a small clearing. Happy followed them silently.

"What's wrong, Happy?" Wendy asked.

"I'm worried about Natsu." Happy admitted. "I haven't talked to anyone about it yet, but I had a scary dream about him."

"You too?" Carla gasped.

"You mean we all had the same dream?" Wendy muttered. "But how?" Wendy wasn't ready to tell them that not only did she have the same dream, but she had a dark feeling dwelling inside of her.

"Maybe it wasn't a dream…" Carla sounded dejected. "Maybe it was a premonition; a sign."

A distant voice shouted. "Wendy!"

Wendy's head perked up. Carla looked at her suspiciously. "What is it, child?"

"It's nothing," Wendy shook her head. "Let's just get some rest."

Lucy was wandering around her own section of the forest. She had been calling out the names of her teammates for ages. No one had seemed to hear her. She had thought she heard Gray a while back, but no one else called out to her.

Lucy sighed softly and sat herself on the ground. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to recall what happened – what she had done – to lose her friends. They all entered the forest, and, in a blink of an eye, they had all been separated.

There was something about this place that made Lucy feel uneasy. Too much had happened in a short period of time. The train, and now this. Were they linked? Why were they being targeted?

So many questions ran through her mind, but no answers were going to be found by just sitting down. With that thought, Lucy stood and walked through the forest once again.


	8. What If: Chapter Seven

Gray reached out a tentative hand towards the Water Mage before him. A smile grew on his face and the Ice-Make Mage took a step towards Juvia; the bluenette opened her arms wide and beckoned him to her. Gray felt drawn to her. His feet crunched on the twigs that scattered the forest floor. Gray placed a hand on Juvia's cheek; she leaned into it.

"My love," Juvia whispered as she wrapped her arms around Gray. "How foolish you are."

"What?" Gray's eyes widened and a pillar of water shot up around him. It burned to the touch and seemed to reach up into the clouds. Gray floated before Juvia. He screamed out at her, but he lost his breath and inhaled the boiling water.

Gray's eyes shut and Juvia's figure wavered in front of him. It started morphing and changing into someone new; their bones cracking as they set in place.

A hooded figure now stood in their place. With a swipe of their hand, the water disappeared. Gray's unconscious body slammed to the floor with a sickening thud. The hooded figure scoffed haughtily to the sight of the Fairy Tail Wizard.

"One down," they muttered as they looked off to their right. "And another to come."

Their form disappeared at the sound of their voice. "Gray!" Lucy cried out. The blonde shook him, but he wouldn't open his eyes. "No…"

"Lucy Heartfilia," the voice echoed.

"Who's there?" Lucy reached for her keys and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Her eyes scanned the area around her. There was a rustling within the foliage and branches around her; a strong wind blew.

Lucy exhaled slowly. Gray wasn't able to help her; whatever she was going to face needed her utmost concentration. A hand landed on her shoulder and Lucy spun around quickly. She was able to land a kick in the side of the hooded figure.

He chuckled softly, placing a gloved hand on his side. "Feisty."

"Who are you?" Lucy's eyes narrowed.

The hooded figure lowered his hood and tilted his head softly. White hair delicately fell into his strong blue eyes. Though his gaze was soft, his eyes held a sort of potency to them. His strong face was slightly hidden behind a black leather mask. A scar on his left cheek protruded from the mask.

"You're one of the people from the train?" Lucy questioned.

"Correction," he took a step forward. "The only one from the train."

"But they were a girl," Lucy shook her head.

"One of my many powers." He said smugly. His voice was eloquent, but it had a twinge to it. He breathed in. "Allow me to introduce myself, Miss Heartfilia."

"How do you know who I am?" Lucy questioned, gripping her keys tightly.

"Everyone knows of the strongest Celestial Mage from Fairy Tail," he crossed his arms as he took a step forward. He bowed softly, placing a hand over his heart. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Skye."

Lucy muttered his name softly. "Do you have a last name, Skye?"

"It's just Skye."

Lucy's hand faltered from her keys. She wanted answers, but she didn't feel thoroughly threatened by the man before her. She looked down at Gray, clenching her teeth. "What do you want?"

"It's not what I want," Skye shook his head. "It's what needs to be done."

Lucy didn't understand. "Why were you on the train? Why did you push me off? Why did you attack us?"

"So many questions," Skye shook his head. "Attention. I needed you to see me."

"Me?"

"All of you."

"Why?"

Skye shook his head. "If I gave everything away now, there would be no plot to my plan."

"Plan? What plan?"

Skye was suddenly behind Lucy; his left hand cupped the bottom of her face. His right arm was around her torso. His chin rested on her right shoulder.

"Inquisitive one, aren't you?" Skye pulled her closer to him, chuckling. His lips were close to her ear, almost grazing them as he talked. "I said, if I told you everything, I wouldn't have a plan."

Lucy began to remove his arms from her, but she was frozen in place. Her eyes widened and the more she tried to move, the more she realized she couldn't. Skye chuckled and circled the blonde.

"You see, I appeared a while ago. I've been watching you; all of you." Skye placed a curled finger to his lips. "Fairy Tail's strongest team," he satirised in a high-pitched tone. "I appeared to Natsu first, I told him what would happen – I was disguised of course – but he dismissed me. Me!" Skye chuckled.

"I then appeared to your other friends." Lucy's face would have scrunched in confusion if she could move. Skye was pacing at this point. "Telling them the same thing; get Natsu to act upon what I told him. Each one of them has failed. No one has done a thing. I needed a stronger motive – more than just appearing in dreams."

Lucy tried to open her mouth, Skye groaned and snapped his fingers.

"I don't understand what you mean," Lucy probed, finally able to speak. "Why do you need Natsu?"

"You don't understand?" Skye growled, he was in Lucy's face. His fists grabbed scruffs of Lucy's clothes as he pulled her closer – breaking the spell he had placed on her. His white hair was flowing, changing from the pearlescent white to a flaming red. His eyes glowed the same colour. "Natsu is the only one who can stop me!"

Lucy faltered. Her mouth opened slightly.

Skye let go of Lucy and took a step backwards, almost losing his footing. His eyes were shielded by his hair. He trembled, covering his eyes with his gloved hands.

Lucy's hand reached out to him softly, but she pulled back. "Are you okay?"

Skye stood tall, the colours fading away. He glared at Lucy. "You are my last hope, Miss Heartfilia. You will help me send my final message."

His eyes went dark and he walked towards Lucy.

* * *

Lucy's scream echoed throughout the forest. Natsu didn't know where it came from, but he was running somewhere. It seemed to surround him in a whirlwind. He was going in blind, but he didn't care; Lucy was being hurt. He would save her.

"Lucy!" He called out, coming to a stop. He looked around wildly. He heard Erza's footsteps coming closer. "Erza!"

"Natsu!" The redhead arrived at his side. "Thank goodness we found each other. Was that Lucy?"

Natsu nodded, his eyes stern. He tried to extend his reach as far as he could. He looked up and saw Wendy and the Exceeds above him. He nodded softly. Wendy nodded back and she and Carla flew off ahead. Natsu looked over at Erza.

"We stick together," Erza stood tall.

Happy landed on Natsu's head. "Aye!" The blue Exceed cheered.

As they ran forward, the forest walls swayed; they began to disappear with every stride they took. The spell that had trapped them was seemingly broken.

Erza and Natsu saw a figure ahead. They ran as fast as they could in order to reach them. As they got closer, Erza faltered and Natsu growled. They saw Gray's body covered in blisters. Natsu knelt down beside him.

Gray slowly opened his eyes. "Natsu?"

"You're okay," Natsu breathed out.

"What happened? Where's Juvia?" Gray tried to sit up but groaned in agony.

"Juvia?" Erza questions. "She wasn't here, Gray. Juvia didn't come with us."

"Did she attack you?" Natsu questioned.

"Yeah," Gray whispered, letting his head fall to the ground. He closed his eyes softly.

"Lucy did the same," Natsu muttered. "But it wasn't them. It was someone else."

"Why are we being targeted?" Erza shook her head. She didn't know the purpose behind the attacks yet. Could this be leading to something bigger? She tried to wrack her brain for answers. As she turned around to pace, a scream escaped her lips.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried out.

The blonde had been pinned to a tree in the distance. She was bloodied and held up by daggers that surrounded her. Natsu walked numbly towards her. When he reached the Celestial Mage, Natsu's shoulders heaved. He solemnly took the daggers out of her clothes and thin patches of her skin. Lucy fell into his arms and Natsu collapsed to the ground with her.

He sobbed loudly, pulling her close to him.

"Who would do this to Lucy?" Erza growled.

"Lucy," Happy whispered, putting his head on her stomach.

"I'm here!" Wendy cried out, sliding up to Natsu and Lucy. Wendy was determined to help as much as she could. Chanting a few words, Wendy concentrated on healing the blonde. The small lashes in Lucy's skin started disappearing overtime.

"Thank you," Natsu whispered.

"Of course," Wendy smiled at Natsu softly.

Lucy's clothes were still soaked in blood, but she was steadily being healed. Once Wendy was done, the small Dragon Slayer rushed over to Gray.

"This whole mission," Erza started. "This was a trap."

"A trap for what?" Happy questioned.

"Sending a message." Erza handed a note to Natsu. "This was on the same tree."

"They'll pay for this." Natsu growled.

"Natsu, they will. But we're not prepared enough. We must go back to the guild."

"They can't be too far. I'll end this now," Natsu's voice was hollow but his words held so much meaning.

"No!" Erza demanded. "You will do no such thing. We aren't prepared. We don't know who we're facing. We must go back home. Prepare. Let Lucy heal. Once we know what we're up against, we will fight."

Natsu growled and shoved Erza into a tree. His eyes were blazing. Natsu was not only exhausted but he had been traumatized for days mentally. Now that one of his visions came true, Natsu was furious. Natsu was broken. "We will end this now."

Erza re-equipped a sword and held it up at Natsu. "You will listen to me, Natsu. I will not fight you."

"Natsu," Lucy's voice came out weakly.

"Lucy!" Natsu held Lucy in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Listen to Erza," Lucy pleaded. "I want to go home."

"I –," Natsu sighed. "Let's go home."


	9. What If: Chapter Eight

The walk into town was quiet. Lucy was on Natsu's back, arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders as he carried the blonde down the trail. Erza and Gray were not far behind the others, but they were having a whispered conversation to themselves. After Gray was healed by Wendy and able to walk enough on his own, the group of Mages set out.

Wendy was up in the sky with Carla and Happy; she was scouting ahead, making sure that no other trickery could happen before they made it into town. Even with her Dragon Hearing, she couldn't hear the conversation Erza and Gray were having. She sighed, she wanted to be included in things - in plans. Yes, she was a child, but she was more than capable enough to help and discuss. Wendy shook her head slightly and continued with her task. She could see the town in the distance and shouted this information below.

Erza and Gray shouted up their thanks and then returned back to conversation.

"I'm just saying that it could be linked to these dreams we've all been having," Gray continued. "Everyone has had it. It has something to do with Natsu. Maybe this attack was an eye-opener for us. For him."

"You're implying that this trip was to target Natsu?" Erza was deep in thought, but carefully considered Gray's words.

"Think about it. We all know how Natsu feels about Lucy, this whole fake job thing has been a ploy to send a message to Natsu; attack what he cares about most and get him to his senses."

"But what are we supposed to get Natsu to do, exactly?" Erza questioned.

Gray got quiet. He didn't know the answer. There were too many questions that needed answers, Gray didn't know where to begin. The only messaged they had received was needing to get Natsu to act. But, act on what?

Gray looked forward towards the sleeping blonde on Natsu's back. If he knew anything about Lucy, she would have had a conversation with whoever attacked her. She would have information that could help towards what has been going on. Lucy was smart that way. In a position of danger, she would always use her head; get as much information as possible in order to relay it later on.

In fact, Lucy was thinking about the man that attacked her.

 _Skye_ , she thought. _Final message. What needs to be stopped? Why was I the message for Natsu?_

As she did so, Natsu felt the blonde get uneasy on his back. He slowed slightly and held her thighs tighter. He didn't know if that would help, but he wanted to send a message that she was going to be okay. Natsu sighed. He hadn't said anything since the declaration to go home; his defeat. He had lost this battle, but he made a commitment to himself to burn whoever did this to Lucy.

Things had definitely changed in the blonde, he noted to himself. He had watched her fight from the train. He witnessed her transformation into her Star Dress. Natsu watched as she fearlessly went into battles. He was really proud of her. She was more sure of herself, he knew that. She believed in herself and that's all Natsu could ever ask for Lucy.

But, those images of losing her - of Lucy being hurt - coming true is what shook him to the core. He should have been able to prevent it, he knew that. The Mage whispered that to him when they first disappeared from the train.

'Will you be able to save her?' They had asked him. That was why he went to their room that night; not because Gray was snoring, but because he needed to see Lucy and make sure she was okay. He hadn't expected the walk that night, but Natsu was glad that Lucy told him what she did.

And now she was hurt; because of him. Natsu began to overheat at the thought, and Lucy winced. Natsu cursed to himself and called Gray over.

"What's up?"

"Can you take Lucy?" Natsu muttered. Gray nodded slowly and they switched the blonde from one back to another. Natsu stretched slightly and thanked Gray before walking ahead, mind racing with thoughts of guilt and anger towards whoever did this to her. The hooded figure; he needed answers and he was going to get them tonight.

With Lucy now on Gray's back, Gray held her tightly. He did see the bruise that was still visible from the train incident. Gray was also feeling guilt about letting Lucy down. He had tried to go after her, he reached out to her, but he was pulled back. He felt guilty that he let one of his best friends get hurt.

Gray didn't know what was going on with Natsu, but it wasn't like him to not take care of Lucy from start to finish. Did they say something to each other? Was Lucy uncomfortable with Natsu? What had happened between them? Gray was now lost in thought, seemingly everyone was.

A lot had happened in such a short amount of time, that it really confused the Fairy Tail Mages. In silence, which was abnormal for them, they returned to the small town that they started off in. They decided to rest there for the night while Erza reported what had happened to Makarov. Luckily they all had their own rooms this time, so some privacy was greatly appreciated.

As Lucy laid in bed, she curled up onto her side. Images of Skye's face were plastered in her mind; the sadistic look in his eye as he tortured her. It made her shiver and sob. Lucy felt an indent in her bed and her heart stopped. She rolled over slightly and Skye was resting on the side of her bed, arms folded and legs crossed. He winked at her.

Lucy tried to scream, but Skye just held up a hand.

"I didn't hurt you too badly, come now."

Lucy whimpered, and stood by her window. She wrapped her arms around her body and closed her eyes tightly. She didn't want to see him.

Skye stood and walked towards Lucy. He placed gloved hands tenderly on her forearms, and squeezed slightly. "You were healed, no need to be afraid of me."

"Why are you here?" Lucy croaked out.

"Call me an optimist, I wanted to see how Natsu was reacting. Good, I hope." Skye laughed and flopped onto Lucy's bed. "Tell me, was he seething with rage?" When Lucy didn't answer, a large smile grew on Skye's face. He sat up and looked the blonde up and down. "So, where is our favourite Dragon Slayer right now? If he sensed me, he should come running."

"You shouldn't be able to be in here. Erza got help from a member of the guild to set up runes so no one could enter. As far as they know, I'm by myself." Lucy answered truthfully. She had to think quickly. If she answered all of his questions and asked some of her own, then maybe Lucy could learn his motives.

"Ah, but you brought me in," Skye laughed. He bounded towards Lucy and grabbed onto her wrist. He yanked her arm out and placed a hand above the inside of her elbow. As he focused and a slight wind picked up around him, a small metal rod exited Lucy's arm. She screamed slightly as it left her body, but no mark could be seen. Skye hummed to himself as he pulled out a dagger. Once the metal rod was placed beside the dagger, it moulded itself into the existing metal.

"See?" Skye smiled as he waved the dagger in front of Lucy's face. As he did so, Lucy noticed that the hilt had his name engraved into it. "I was with you the whole time."

"If you have what you came for, then leave," Lucy begged.

"But, I don't." Skye growled, that flash of red appearing in his eyes and hair once again. "I need to make sure that Natsu does what he is supposed to."

"And what is that?"

"My plot, Heartfilia, I won't tell you everything." And with those words echoing in Lucy's mind, the world went dark.


End file.
